Hourglass Blueline Estate Merlot: Vino On Friday

Merlot is back! Actually, it never went away, it but brutal out of favor amongst a lot of vino drinkers. Recently I visited Hourglass Wines inwards Napa as well as talked to possessor Jeff Smith close Merlot, a vino many people mean value is insipid. Was it the dreaded Sideways (the pic inwards which the atomic number 82 abhors Merlot) affect? Not according to Smith, "Sideways wasn't the problem, it was the punctuation point, at the goal of the problem." And it's true, at the fourth dimension of Sideways, at that topographic point was a lot of lousy Merlot. 

Lately at that topographic point are a lot of Merlot producers, fifty-fifty unopen to rattling proficient ones, trying to marketplace position Merlot past times proverb things similar "Merlot for Cab lovers" but Merlot should hold upward appreciated on its ain merits. If you lot haven't had a actually dandy Merlot inwards a long time, or ever, here's what Smith says it should sense of savor like--spicy, aromatic, amongst density, rich as well as vibrant. The holy grail? According to Smith it's richness amongst liberate energy as well as structure. Although ofttimes blended amongst Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon is darker, to a greater extent than tannic. Merlot is an easier drinking vino amongst lots of dark as well as reddish fruit. Here's an tardily agency to mean value close Merlot. Think Marilyn Monroe--voluptuous, fleshy as well as soft, sometimes elegant.  

Hourglass acquired the lovely Blueline belongings inwards 2006, it's located inwards the Northeastern purpose of Napa Valley, 2 miles due south of Calistoga as well as has  a mix of alluvial gravel, sand, as well as loam. On the belongings Hourglass grows non but Merlot but Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot as well as Malbec. The 2011 Hourglass Blueline Estate Merlot has spicy as well as lots of fruit but also unopen to chocolate as well as vanilla notes. It's silky as well as lush as well as complex inwards a proficient way. It's a pricey vino at $75 but cheaper than a "cult Cab." 

One of the other things I dear close Merlot, is how tardily it is to brace amongst food, ofttimes much easier than Cabernet Sauvignon. Of course, at that topographic point is a make of Merlot from lighter styles that brace amongst pizza, pasta as well as charcuterie, to riper styles that stand upward up to spicier dishes too.  It's dandy to reckon a winery similar Hourglass committed to making a actually dandy Merlot. I promise other winemakers are inspired to utilisation the same.

Disclaimer: I was a invitee at Hourglass for a somebody resultant as well as got a jeopardy to endeavour the vino as well as run across the winemaker as well as owner. 

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